Eternity
by BigMouth12349
Summary: "Don't you know who you are yet?" A collection of one-shots based off of tragic Kagamine songs. They are connected, but the reason won't be revealed until the last chapter. LenxRin, sometimes incest. Rated T for character death.
1. Kokoro, Kokoro Kiseki

**Yup, I know exactly what you're thinking. "Big-san! You're working on way too many stories right now! You'll never finish them all!" Well... you're probably right orz. But most of them are collabs, and you can expect those to be updated as frequently as my partner allows. So... this idea has been nagging me for awhile, sooo... I'm writing it. This will be incredibly tragic. If you don't feel choked up at least once throughout this entire series, then I have failed you as a writer. They will be a collection of one-shots based off of Kagamine songs. They ARE connected, but it's up to you to figure out how... until the end, where you get an answer. Sooo... I'm going to shut up and give you the first chapter now, kay?**

_"Although hundreds of years may pass  
Their eternal love will last."_

The scientist woke up, coughing harshly. His lungs felt tight; he could hardly breathe. _Oh God no not yet I'm not ready to die yet she's not ready for me to die yet please no not-_

His fevered thoughts cut off as the tightening loosened, allowing air into his damaged lungs. He leaned back in his bed, his breathing raspy. He was sick. Very, very sick. He should be in a hospital right now. He would be, if not for-

"Professor, are you alright?" The scientist looked to the side, into the expressionless eyes of the robot sitting next to his bed. She was not asking him because she cared, he knew-it was simply how she was programmed. He smiled at her all the same.

"Fine. I'm fine." His voice suggested that he was anything but fine. The robot just continued to stare at him with those clear blue eyes. He had created her when he was only fourteen, looking for a companion. She looked quite a bit like he did at that age; her clothing even mimicked what he might have worn, with a bit more of a feminine twist. Her blonde hair was not in a ponytail like his normally was, but a large white bow sat on top of her head.

He again found himself wishing that she had been able to age along with him. When he had been fourteen, she had seemed beautiful to him. Now, in his thirties, these feelings he had for her felt wrong. Then again, being in love with a robot could hardly be considered right by most standards. Particularly when said robot lacked the emotions to love him back.

"Professor was talking in his sleep again." The robot girl's voice even sounded quite a bit like his did at that age, if not a bit higher. And a bit more metallic, but that went without saying.

"Was I? And what was I saying, exactly?" He sat up slowly, coughing weakly and clutching at his chest. The robot observed this without interest.

"Professor was saying, 'Don't ask me my name, I don't know it.' Does Professor not remember his name?" The scientist looked over at his creation, startled. He hadn't had a dream like that in years... since he was a very young child, actually. It aroused a feeling of unease inside him-he said these things at the beginning of his life, was he saying them at the end of his life, now? The thought made him shiver. "Is Professor cold?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He chuckled weakly, sending him into another coughing fit. "Not that you are capable of worrying about anything... yet." That _yet_ was the reason he got up every morning, the reason he hadn't gotten to a hospital yet.

He wanted his robot to have emotions.

He slowly got to his feet, stumbling slightly. He grabbed the robot's arm for balance. She walked with him, with the patience only one without emotion could exhibit. Finally, they made it to his desk, and he sat down, breathing heavily. He could barely catch his breath, but he turned to the computer screen all the same.

"Here's your coffee, Professor." The Professor turned to the robot, suprised. Had the time really passed that quickly? He looked at the clock to see that a half-hour had passed since he sat down. He was still breathing heavily, which was unusual. It took him ten minutes at most to catch his breath.

"A-arigato." His voice was a heavy wheeze. He had the most horrible gut feeling that he would never leave this chair. Although he tried to tell himself that was a ridiculous idea, the feeling would not go away. He turned to the computer screen, clicking open the folder labeled "KOKORO." He couldn't die, not without finishing the program!

Hours passed in near silence, the only sounds in the room being the soft hum of the machinery and the clacking of computer keys under the scientist's shaking fingers. All of a sudden, a official sounding voice echoed through the room, coming from the computer's speakers.

"KOKORO program complete. Please set up connection with device to continue."

The scientist's eyes widened in shock. Was the program finally running? His weak hands clutched for the USB cord that would connect with the port in the robot girl's wrist. Before he could even have a chance to call out her name, he heard her voice.

"Receiving message..." The scientist looked over at her in shock. He wasn't expecting any messages! And they wouldn't be coming from her, anyways. "The source is..." She took a few confused steps towards him. Was she malfunctioning? "The future!" The scientist drew a shocked gasp, causing him to cough roughly. The world wavered out of focus for a moment. When it came back in, the robot girl was standing in front of him. Except she was far more than robot now. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, but she was smiling. Beaming, in fact. It seemed like she was experiencing every emotion anyone ever experienced, all at once.

"Professor... arigato... for giving me life, for all the time we spent together... I love you, Professor." There was no more metallicness in her voice. She reached for him, drawing him close in a hug. Her once metallic skin was warm. The professor drew her close, tears pouring down his own cheeks now. It didn't matter why this was happening, because he finally had her. He couldn't draw enough breath to speak, but that didn't matter. She was trembling, sobbing and laughing all at once.

"Professor. I love you, Pro-" The robot's body suddenly went rigid, and she collapsed. The professor looked at the lifeless robot in his arms, unable to understand what had happened. Then, she opened her eyes and straightened up, out of his arms. Her skin was cold again, her tears and smile was gone.

He understood now. The robot must have activated KOKORO herself, far in the future. It was too much for her, and she shorted. The tears rolled down his cheeks as he shuddered with sobs. He couldn't be responsible for her death. Never! He pointed a shaking finger at the monitor, his finger resting on the KOKORO folder. "Promise me... promise me you'll never open that."

"Yes, professor." Her voice was metallic once again. The Professor smiled through his tears. Another coughing fit seized him. His vision wavered and flickered to black. He could feel himself falling, falling...

"Arigato." His head hit the desk, knocking over the full cup of coffee. It shattered on the floor, puddling at the robot girl's feet as she stared, uncomprehending and uncaring.

...

...

"Here's your coffee, Professor." The robot girl set the full cup down carefully at the skeleton's head. Something was wrong with her Professor. Every day she would bring him his coffee, and every day she would bring the full cup away. He never drank it. She didn't understand what was wrong with him. She understood he was dead, of course, but not what dead was.

"Professor should be buried." Wasn't that what humans normally did with their "dead?" The robot couldn't be sure. She would like to ask Professor for confirmation, but he didn't answer her requests.

Her eyes went to the black computer screen. She remembered him telling her never to open the KOKORO file. "When one does not answer your requests, it becomes necessary for you to disobey them." If Professor was not going to answer her, then she would have to open that file. She started up the computer, showing no emotion as it crackled to life. She clicked open the KOKORO folder.

"KOKORO program complete. Please set up connection with device to continue." The robot knew what that meant. She carefully plugged the fraying cord into her wrist. "KOKORO activating... loading... loading... loading... complete." These last words weren't heard by the robot girl. She dropped to her knees, the weak cord snapping in half before dropping from her wrist.

"No... no... no! Professor! Professor! Come back!" Sobs wracked through the tiny body as she looked at the skeleton. "You'll never know... come back! I want to tell you that I love you! Professor! Come back!" Even as the tears poured down the girl's cheeks, a smile formed on her face. "Professor... I'm so thankful to you... you need to know! Come back!" Her blue eyes flickered. "Sending message... to the past. Sending...

"Professor... arigato... for giving me life, for all the time we spent together... I love you, Professor." Like she did all those years ago, she drew the corpse to her, hugging it tightly. Even though the corpse didn't move, she felt the memory of his arms around her as the message sent.

"Professor. I love you, Pro-" Every emotion shot through her at that instant. All the joy, love, sadness, fear, and anger she could have felt through her long, long life went through her brain. It was too much to handle. Her entire body went rigid, before going completely limp. She shorted, never to move again.

However, she died in her Professor's arms. Her face was filled with a smile.

_"Don't you know who you are yet?"_

**I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews get me motivated to update, sooo... review!**


	2. Yami no Dance Site

**I actually had this chapter started, but then it got erased, I got pissed, and then I found myself unable to finish. Sorry this took so long!**

_"They're locked in an eternal dance  
Their meeting is far more than chance."_

"Wake up... wake up, my love."

The girl opened her eyes, her vision foggy and clouded. Sleep had it's hold on her. She felt like she had been sleeping for weeks... maybe months. She sat up slowly, rubbing her head. "M-my name... I d-don't know my name..." Her voice was a mere mumble as she blinked, still half asleep.

"Love?" The girl looked to the boy, recognition dawning in her eyes, even though his figure is still blurry. Was there something wrong with her eyes? She blinked, as if she could will the blurriness away by sheer force of will.

"My dear... what's happened to me?" She held her hands in front of her face, as if this will give her the answer. She was shocked when she saw her hands. The skin on them was rotting, grotesque. She drew in a gasp, stumbling to her feet. The boy put his arms around her waist, steadying her as her legs threatened to buckle. _Are those rotting, too?_ The thought sent panic through her mind, but also a memory: a memory of lying sick, in bed, unable to move. Just like that, she remembered. "I... died! I died _months_ ago!"

The boy nodded, sadly. "I brought you back." She looked at his blurry form in shock. If she were able to see herself, she would have realized that her eyes were as rotten as the rest of her.

"You _what_?"

The boy looked at her with the utter calmness of someone who has gone absolutely mad. "I couldn't live without you, my dear. So I went to the pink-haired woman-Luka, her name is- and she told me how to get you back." He pet her hair, not minding when blonde strands detached themselves from the corpse's rotting skull and clung to his hand. "I dug you up, and said the spell, and you woke up. You _woke up_, love." His tone was wondering as he embraced her.

"You're mad... absolutely, positively mad... and I love you for it." She turned and pressed her lips to his. Their kiss was filled with passion. Sour, dead air invaded his lungs as her non-breath entered his lungs, but he didn't mind it. Her taste was rotten, but he loved it, because she was the one he loved. They are finally together again.

When he was finally forced to pull away for air, he held her close, whispering in her ear. "My love... I've waited so long for this... I've missed you so, so much."

The girl smiled at him, disclosing a set of rotten, bug-filled teeth. He didn't feel any revulsion, any regret, even when he felt a bug squirm out of his own mouth and crawl down his cheek. He supposed that proved he was crazy, but all he knew for sure was that he wanted to kiss her again, despite the rotting and bugs. Maybe that made him crazy... but it also could have been the force of his love. He scooped her up, into his arms bridal style. She died before they were able to be married. As he carried her over the threshold, into his (now their) bedroom, he felt as if some great act had finally be completed.

It was not the first "great act" of that night.

As he slept, she lay against his chest. She didn't sleep, but she rested. His arms sat around her waist loosely as he breathed in and out. She could feel his heart beating against her cheek. It made her wish that her own heart beat, so that she could synchronize it with his.

The next few weeks were some of the best of his life. He felt complete with her back, as if the part of him that died when she did also came back to life, slightly rotten with madness instead of age. He never leaves his home, instead staying with her for every waking moment. They live together and they love together, but mostly they dance together. She always loved to dance, and death didn't change that.

"Let's dance outside tonight." She said, petting his hair. Three weeks had passed since she had come back, and she was worried. She could feel herself dying again. When he slept, she felt her muscles tense and refuse to move. Once, she couldn't move anything below her waist for an hour, as if that part of her body had died. She felt like the end was coming for her again, and soon. She couldn't cheat death forever.

"But... people may see you..." The boy might have been crazy, but he didn't want her to be found. He knew what would happen to him, to her, and even to Luka. So many people would suffer because of it.

"We could go in the woods. No one would see us. Please..." She took a deep, shaky breath that she didn't need. The breathing was more out of habit than anything. "I want to see what it's like outside again." _Before I die again_ hung in the air, unsaid and unwanted.

The boy took her hand and kissed it. "If it's what you want, that's what we'll do."

Minutes later, the two were walking along a dark path, with only the moonlight to guide them. Leaves crunched under their feet. Both were dressed in black, as if in mourning for the tragedy that hadn't happened yet. She stumbled as her legs betrayed her, and he held her up. He looked at her with concern, but she only kissed his lips softly in reply.

Eventually, they came to a clearing. He put his hand on her waist, and she put her hand on his shoulder. Their other hands entwined with each other, and they started a waltz. There was no music, but they did not need it. They danced in tune to the rustling leaves, and the chirping crickets. Thier dance started out slow, but soon it quickened in pace. They danced and twirled and twirled and danced, locked in a passionate embrace that felt like it would never end. She pressed her body close to his, but their feet never tripped up once. The dance was graceful, haunting. They went faster... faster... faster...

And then her leg flew off with a sickening _snap_ that sounded like a tree branch falling.

She screamed, even though there was no pain. The scream came partly from shock, and partly from the feeling of loss. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized that this was finally it. Had she cried the first time she died? She couldn't remember. The memories of her first death were fuzzy and indistinct, blurred by the sickness.

"No!" The boy tried to support her, but fell to his knees as he stared at the gaping, rotten hole where her leg once was. She laid with him, more or less in his lap. She tried to hold the tears back, to make him feel better, but she just wasn't able. She didn't want to go back to that dark place alone.

"D-Don't... don't c-cry..." She reached up with a shaking hand when she realized that tears were coursing down his cheeks as well.

"Love... I can't live without you." His voice broke on the last word, and she placed a rotting hand on his cheek. Her pinky finger hit the side of his skull at an angle and was snapped off. His tears trickled over her fingers, into the lap of her lacy dress.

"D-don't worry..." She sighed, realizing that she had lost all feeling below her waist, and the numbness of death was slowly creeping up her. The loneliness was awful! What she would give to take him with her...

As if answering her, he pulled a silver knife out of his pocket. The moonlight glinted off of the blade. "I won't... because I won't _have_ to live without you." So he had noticed her rotting, as well. He must have anticipated this, on some level.

"N-no! T-this is... t-this is my own..." She didn't know how to finish that statement. She should have never thought that she wanted him with her! He deserved to live, even without her. What she had thought was a sin.

"I've made up my mind. Don't try to stop me." Even as he spoke, she tried to hit the knife out of his hands. Her fingers wrapped around the handle for a moment, but then dropped off lifelessly. Death was spreading fast. "Not much longer now." His voice was calm as he pet her hair with his free hand.

"P-Please..." Death was clogging her throat and covering her eyes. She saw him smile, and despite everything, she was happy. That was the best thing to see before death took over. "I love you." With that final, weak gasp of air, his love died in his arms for the second time.

He sat there for a long while, petting her hair and staring into space. His eyes were blank. Not a single shred of sanity remained. Without his love with him, he was a hollow shell. He looked at the corpse in his arms, at the dried tears on her rotten cheeks, and he smiled.

"I'm coming for you, love. I hope you waited for me." Tears were streaming down his own cheeks now, but he didn't notice them. He took the blade and stared at it. He closed his eyes and drew the blade across his neck in one shift motion. A jagged cut opened up, spewing blood all over his clothes, her dress, and his beloved's face. He managed one choked gurgle as his head tilted downward, until he was looking at the corpse in his arms.

As his vision blackened, the blood disappeared from her face, and he found himself looking at an angel.

_"Don't you know who you are yet?"_

**Hmmm... I don't like this chapter as much as the last... I feel like it's not quite as sad. Oh, well. Reviews are appreciated very much~!**


	3. Proof of Life, Soundless Voice

**It's been forever since I updated this! I have no excuse T_T Forgive me, please? I hope this chapter was worth the wait!**

_"No matter what the weather,  
Those two belong together."_

"ATAAAAAAAAACK!" That was all the boy was able to register before something landed heavily on top of him. His eyes shot open as he wrestled with the thing, who was playfully pinning him to his bed.

"Gah! Get off of me, you freak!" The insult was playful, though, because he knew who woke him up. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and a blonde girl sitting more or less on top of him came into focus. "How did you get in here, anyways?"

The girl shrugged, moving over to take a bit more of a conventional seat at the foot of his bed. "I got the spare key from under the mat," she giggled, and winked, "We're neighbors, dear, we have no secrets." He flushed a little when she called him 'dear.' She was always using little nicknames like that, and it was a bit unsettling to hear that from your best friend. Particularly when you had a crush on said friend. "You talk in your sleep, you know?" He was jerked out of his thoughts by her voice.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, throwing the covers off. It was unusually cold, and he shivered.

"Yeah. You must have some trippy dreams. 'I don't know my name, don't ask me!' " The girl deepened her voice in an attempt to imitate the boy, before switching back to her normal voice. "You must be a moron even in your dreams. At least you're cute when you're sleeping!" She reached over and pinched his cheek. He swatted at her hand.

"Knock it off!" He shook his head. "You're lucky mom and dad are away. I can't believe you snuck into my house. What if I had shoved you off of the bed, or something? You could have been seriously hurt; you don't need that, what with..." He trailed off, as if realizing what he had said. The girl looked at him with a mix of sadness and acceptance.

" 'What with?' Go ahead, say it. I get it, you know? I'm sick. I don't need a broken bone on top of it." She turned away, and he knew from experience that she was fighting tears. He quickly crawled over to her and put his arms around her.

"No, no. I'm sorry; you know I didn't mean it!" To his horror, she turned to him with tears in her eyes.

"But you did!" She buried her face in his chest suddenly, her words muffled. "I'm sick! I'm sick and there's nothing anyone can do; I'm just... It's not fair!" The boy felt tears well up in his own eyes as his friend broke down sobbing. She was right, it _wasn't_ fair. It wasn't fair that a teenaged girl should be diagnosed with an incurable disease. It wasn't fair that her friends and family had to watch as she wasted away. It wasn't fair that he couldn't muster up the courage to confess his feelings to her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pet her hair, repeating the same words over and over. "I'm sorry."

Eventually, her sobs turned to sniffles, and she looked up at him. "No, _I'm_ sorry. It's not fair for me to burden you with this. I'm ready for whatever happens. Really." She gave him a watery smile that broke his heart, and gently pushed away from him. "Enough of this. I came over here to have fun, not cry. And..." Real joy surfaced on her face. "Guess what? It's _snowing_ out!"

The boy rushed to the window, throwing open the blinds. Even though he saw the thick blanket of white on the ground, he still couldn't believe it. "No way!" White flakes fluttered to the ground. "It never snows here!"

The girl's voice is gleeful as she stands behind him. "It does now!" She grabbed his wrists and spun him away from the window. "Get dressed! We're going to go play!" The boy looked doubtful for a moment, but quickly gave up arguing. She deserved to have whatever she wanted.

He took his clothes to the bathroom, dressing quickly. His clothes weren't very warm, but they were the best he had. She didn't have anything better, and that made him a bit worried. She was so sick... But he knew she wouldn't hear of staying inside. So he just dressed as quickly as possible, not wanting to keep her waiting.

As he was walking back to his room, he remembered a ski trip that he had taken with his parents. It had been awhile ago, but any clothes left over from it would probably be in his closet. He searched, but could only find two scarves. Figuring it was better than nothing, he walked back into his room and handed one to the girl. "Here. I don't want you getting s... getting a cold." It was obvious that she knew what he was going to say, but she shrugged it off, sticking out her toungue.

"Gee, thanks, Mom." She tied the scarf around her neck before running at him like a quarter-back, all but tackling him out his bedroom door. "Now let's go, go, go!"

That day was amazing for the both of them. Anything that had to do with snow, they did it. Snowmen and snowangels were made, and an apocolyptic snowball fight left both of them shivering and giggling. At the end of the day, the two laid in the snow, in the woods in his backyard.

"We could go back to my house for some hot chocolate, if you want." He was freezing, and was ready to go back inside.

"Sure... in... a minute. It's... so peaceful... out here." He didn't like the out of breath way that she spoke, and he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her.

"Are you alright?" Her cheeks and nose were red, and he got worried immediately.

"Of course. Just... don't wanna... go inside yet." He knew it was no use arguing with her. Instead, he flopped onto the ground again, staring at the snowflakes that slowly came down on top of him. It really was kind of peaceful.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and his mind started to wander. _If there was ever a time to tell her, it would be now. _He bit his lip. "Hey, um..." _I can't go through with this!_ He took a deep breath. "You know, we've been friends... well, since we were born, practically, and..." His breath was coming in short gasps. He decided to just come out with it. He lurched to the side and took her hand. "I... I love you!" He was so shocked by what he had just done that he took his hand away. "I mean, I like just being friends and everything, so we can continue that if that's what you..." He trailed off. Her cheeks and nose weren't red anymore. They were white. Pale white. Almost gray. "No..." He crawled forward slowly. Her eyes were open and staring at him... but they didn't see anything.

"No... Wake up. Please?" He took her in his arms and shook her gently. "No! No! No!" His voice went from a whisper to a shout, and he shook her harder and harder. Tears fell from his eyes, but froze on his face. They couldn't reach her. "No! You can't do this to me!" He held her close. Her skin was so cold, and all he wanted to do was warm her up.

"Come back! You didn't even hear me! I didn't confess my love to you for nothing!" He began to sob, clinging to her body as if it were the last thing on earth. "You never knew... Never knew that I loved you!"

_"I love you, too."_ Her voice, calling out to him. He looked to her face, but her eyes just continued to stare glassily up at him, snowflakes gathering inside them and melting before rolling down, as if they were tears. She hadn't spoken, but... He knew. He knew that he had heard her.

"Please..." He didn't even know what he was begging for anymore. Mostly, he just wanted to see her smile one more time. There was no color in the world anymore. The only color came from her perfect blue eyes, which were now glazed over. "Please..." His breath was coming out in harsh pants as he stared down at her.

Eventually, he realized that he was tired. Exausted, in fact. How long had he been kneeling there, crying silently, clutching to the body of the girl he loved? He had lost count of the snowflakes that fell. Finally, he realized what he was pleading for. "Please... take me with her." His voice was hoarse. Had he been screaming? He thought he remembered screaming. "I don't want to be here... if she's not." He looked up at the sky, at the snowflakes that were falling silently. "Keep falling, okay? Take me away with her."

He carefully laid down in the snow, keeping her body close to his. He passed a hand over her eyes, and the last of the color drained from the world as they shut. "Good night... I'll see you in the morning." He closed his own eyes, clutching at her like a lifeline. He felt the snow pile over both of them, but he didn't care. He shivered violently, but still hung on to her. Soon, it wasn't so cold anymore.

The next day, the snow stopped. A woman was walking her dog through the woods with her husband, when she suddenly screamed and pointed.

Two entwined hands were barely visable, half-buried in the snow.

_"Don't you know who you are yet?"_

**Ahhhh... You know, Rin dies in way more than Len, song-wise. Why do people always complain about him dying. Ah, well. Review, please? They make me very happy :D**


	4. Aku No Monogatari

**I've been neglecting this story a bit, haven't I? -has too many stories on her plate- And that doesn't even count the ones that I want to start. Ahhh well. I figured that now that it's chapter 4, it's about time I lived up to the promise of twincest. And, uh... I'm going to be messing with Canon. Like, the tiniest bit. And only Daughter of White canon****. That's not so bad, right~? Right. I'm going to shut up now and let you read, yes?**

_"Although they may be torn apart,  
They are connected in their hearts."_

_"Your magesty? You are having a nightmare, wake up."_

Even though it was impossible, she heard this voice every morning. She was beginning to think that she was going crazy. No sane person ever heard the voices of people who had no right to be talking... the voices of people rotting away in their graves.

Perhaps that was what gave the poor woman so much trouble with her sleep, although she wouldn't know it, and found it a bit doubtful, since the nightmares started before this whole mess. She never remembered her dreams, although she had been plaqued with them for... as long as she could remember. Occasionally, she would wake up to hear herself mumbling, "Don't ask me my name; I don't know it..." Although the words never used to make sense to her, now she understood them perfectly. How many times had she frozen when someone asked her name, trying to remember what psydonym she had called herself.

She did the dishes, cleaned the house, and tended to the gardens all without saying a word. The other women would speak to her, and she would answer, but she would never quite look anyone in the eyes.

And every night, she would go by the shoreline. Ordinarily, she would remain as silent as always, but tonight was different. "I confessed today, you know." She sighed, dropping her eyes to stare at her sandy feet. "The priest wasn't there, of course. I don't know if it counts that way... I knelt in front of the cross as I did it, though. Doesn't that count for something? I still don't feel any better about it... I certainly don't feel absolved." A sniffle came from her, and she brushed a sleeve across her eyes.

"I remember our childhood more and more, now. I don't know why I didn't before. I suppose that was father's intention, burying me with gifts to fill the void left by you. I'd like to say that it didn't work, that I always knew that something was missing, but... You know, it did work. I was so, so selfish... Then again, I always was." She closed her eyes, and on the backs of her eyelids, she could see them, the two children who were practically inseperable.

"Hey, that toy's mine!" The little girl would cry. The toy wasn't hers, of course, but the boy would always hand it over without hesitation.

"Of course. I'm sorry." Not wanting to see this rude version of her, but knowing that it got much, much worse as time went on, she opened her eyes, not surprised to find tears coming from them.

"I-I remember them taking you away, now." She sat on the sand, not worrying about getting her skirts dirty, and dropped her chin to her knees, watching the phantoms of her past run across the sand.

"What are you doing with my brother? Why are you taking him?" The girl struggled in her mother's arms, hitting the crying woman with tiny fists. "Let me go! If he's going, I want to go with him!"

The boy was crying, too, but he was too shocked to do anything as his father loaded him into the back of a dingy carriage. "Dad?" The man looked at him, no pity in his eyes.

"It has to be like this. You will bring ruin to this nation if you ever enter this castle again." The little boy's face crumpled as his father said such harsh words to him, and as the carriage began to pull away. The little girl started kicking and screaming, finally wrenching herself from her mother's grip, but she wasn't fast enough to keep up with the horse-drawn contraption pulling her other half away from her. The little boy looked out the back of it, tears running down his face, and he looked so pitiful that the mother collapsed on the ground, her sobs becoming near-hysterical.

"I'll... back... you..." The boy yelled, but he was so far away that half of his words were unhearable. The little girl collapsed in the sand herself, sobbing the little boy's name over and over. The father looked over all this, the only one in the family who wouldn't be crying himself to sleep that night.

"This is no way for a queen to act," he stated coldly to his wife, who wiped her eyes and attempted to gain control of herself. Then to his daughter, he said in a falsely-kind voice, "Now, little princess, there's no need to fret, right? I'll get you lots of new presents... In fact, there's a pony for you out back. And there are plenty of new toys for you, as well..."

The king's voice began to fade, and with it, the memory. The crying woman who was once the crying girl sighed, closing her eyes. "Mother died not long after you left, as I'm sure you know. They gave me plenty of reasons, but I know the truth." Another large sigh came from her lips, shuddering slightly. "Suicide. She never forgave herself." She shook her head. "So, she died, and when father finally took ill and died when I was fourteen... I was the 'sole heir' to the throne." A dry, humorless laugh escaped her. "You should have been in charge, not me. You would have done so much better..." She shook her head. "You came back about a month after father died. Why didn't I recognize you? I was too absorbed in my own, selfish thoughts..."

She was, she remembered. She was thinking about how horrible it was to be in charge, and how all the commoners did was whine and complain. So, when a boy her age dressed in ratty clothes was allowed into her chambers, she had been almost outraged, turning on one of her servants. "Who let this thing in here? Who..." She trailed off as he looked up, her words drying up in her throat. For that one moment, she had recognized him, or almost recognized him, and that caused her words to dry up in her throat.

He kneeled before her, taking one gloved hand in her's. "I wish to pledge my alligence to you, fair princess, and I will do anything that you ask of me." She had raised an eyebrow, jerking her hand away.

"And what do you expect in return, commoner? Is there a family member ill, or perhaps a loved one up for execution?" To this, the boy smiled. He looked so familier... He almost looked exactly like her. How could she not have realized...?

"I have no family or loved ones to speak of. The only payment I expect is to see you smile." At this, the princess did smile, and the boy's own smile widened in return. His words were so genuine that the princess had no choice.

"Very well." She placed her hand back in his, and he kissed it. "You shall be my servant, and will do whatever I command."

The woman this princess had become shook her head slowly at the memory, feeling sick to her stomach. "I made you do horrible things. I made you kill... I made you do all the work that a princess should be doing herself. I took all the benefits of being in charge, leaving you with all the hassles. And yet... it was enough for you to see me smile. Why?" She shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. "Of course, I know why. You were in love with me. I saw it on your face, and I ignored it. I didn't want the love of a commoner... Even though I felt the same way. And you restrained yourself. I thought it was because you didn't believe that I felt the same way, or the difference in class frightened you. But then he came, and _she _came... You loved her, too, didn't you? Not as much as you loved me, of course, I know that, but you loved her all the same... I knew that, and I had you kill her. Because I always wanted what I couldn't have, that's where it all started..."

She remembered _that_ night all too well. She remembered sitting on her bed, sobbing. That stupid teal-haired abomination, that _Miku_, was taking every man she had ever loved from her! Not only was Kaito, her would-be fiancee, head-over-heels for her, but her loyal servant was, too! It was too much for the young princess to handle. "I want her killed, do you hear me! I want every green-haired woman in that country murdered, but I want you to kill her with your own hands!"

"Princess, you are overreacting. Just take a moment and-" She cut off the words of her smarter half, throwing herself into his arms.

"See, you've never refused me before!" She sobbed into his chest, tightening her grip on him as he wrapped his arms around her. "This woman is the cause of all of my misfortune. She's taken every man who's ever loved me!" Her servant patted her head, his hand shaking slightly.

"Now, princess-" She could sense him trying to deny her claims, and she cut him off once again.

"Don't try to deny it! I saw the way you looked at her... And I've seen the way you looked at me. Please... If you really love me, more than her... Please, do this for me."

"P-Princess-" His eyes were wide, but her tears had slowed, and she picked her head up from his chest, laying a finger across his lips.

"Don't. I feel the same way about you, so... Don't." Before he could interject again, she pressed her lips to his. He automatically responded to her, before attempting to push her away.

"Princess, this is wrong, we shou..." He trailed off, suddenly incapable of speech due to the princess's actions, and soon there was no control left, and he was the one leading. For that small space of time, he was the one with power over her, on top of her and caging her in. And yet she had power, too, and when it was all over and they were lying next to eachother, she wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke.

"Kill her... Kill her and destroy her kingdom." And he, with his voice trembling, finally replied correctly.

"Anything to see you smile, princess."

The woman pounded a fist against the sand in anguish. "I was so stupid!" The tears were falling faster now. "Did I really think that there would be no consequences for my actions? That the green country wouldn't want to avenge the beating we gave it? That Kaito wouldn't want revenge for Miku's death? How could I be so... so stupid?" She sobbed, not bothering to cover her face with her hands. She let her tears drop into the sand, darkening it.

"You know, when the servants all fled... I thought you had left me. I had never felt so... hopeless, before. So helpless." She had sat in her room, curled on the bed that she had been sharing with her servant for the past few months, sobbing. There had been rumors of what was left of the green country teaming up with the blue country to go to war, but she hadn't listened, and now it was too late. She was alone; they were coming for her; she would be killed. She buried her face in the pillows, thinking that she should just end it now, when she heard that voice.

"Princess, please don't cry." Her head snapped up, only to see herself. No... her servant. Dressed in her clothes. She had thought for a moment that she was looking in a mirror, before she saw the minor differences in their faces. Still... She gasped as he began undressing her.

"Is now really the time for-" She was cut off as he kissed her, pulling her dress off and slipping her arms into a shirt.

"Here, I will lend you my clothes." He buttoned up the shirt and pushed her onto the bed, pulling his pants onto her. "You can wear these and escape immediately." He threw a cloak over her, pulling up the hood to cover her face, before dropping to his knees to put his own shoes and socks on her.

"This will never work," she said when she found her voice, "They'll find out, and kill both of us!" He looked up at her, his face grave.

"Don't worry," he said, "We're twins. I'm sure no one will notice."

"We're..." She trailed off as memories flooded back to her, and she realized that her secret love was far more forbidden than she had ever dreamed. "Oh my-" Before she could finish, footsteps pounded down the hall, and her most loyal servant kissed her for one final time before pushing her out the window.

"I'm sorry, princess." He said, before walking away to meet the army, his head held high.

"I should be dead!" The woman screamed, sobbing. "You shouldn't have taken my place! I shouldn't have ran away... I should have been the one who was executed, not you!" She balled her sandy hands into fists, pounding them against her forehead, unable to speak any longer, before finally looking out to the sea.

"I saw it all," she said, "I wanted to stop it, but when I got to the front... You just smiled at me, and spoke my line... And then..." Her sobs took over again, as she remembered the servant's final words.

"Ah, it's time for the snack." She opened her mouth to speak, but the blade dropped before she could say a word, and there was a horrible noise as it hit him, and although blood sprayed across her face, she swore that he kept his eyes on her until his head dropped out of sight, a smile still on his lips as the crowd around her cheered.

"I ran," she said, her voice quiet and pathetic, "I ran until I literally dropped from exaustion. A woman found me, and brought me here. God, I miss you so much!" She bent forward, covering her face with her hands, and sobbed harder, her story finally finished.

_"The only payment I expect is to see you smile."_ At the sound of the voice, she picked her head up, and for a fraction of a second he was there, smiling at her. Then she heard something drop to the sand behind her, and she spun around.

Someone robed in black was running away from her. Surely, it was death, and her faithful servant was protecting her even now. She turned back to where he had been, but he was gone.

Turning back to the hooded figure's retreating form, she screamed. "Come back here, you coward! Come back here and do it! Come back here!" But the figure had already disappeared into the fog, and the ex-princess dropped her eyes to the ground.

Glittering there was a knife.

A smile came across her face as she picked it up, caressing the blade with a finger. "Consider this your payment, my dear servant." With that, she plunged the blade into her stomach, gasping at the pain, but moving it back and forth, crying as she felt it slice through muscle and organs.

Finally, her strength left her and she dropped into the sand, watching as it became dark with her own blood. Through it all, she kept a smile on her face. Panting, she managed her last words.

"A-Ah... it's t-time for... for the... s-snack..."

_"Don't you know who you are yet?"_

**Do I have any idea what "Ah, it's time for the snack" means? Nope~! Sheesh, this is the closest to lemony that this fic has gotten... Although there was implied lemon in chapter 2... Aaanyways, you can do me a favor and click that little review button, yes? Yep, awesome.**


	5. Synchroncity

**Soooo... It's about time I updated this, eh? I should update Ongaku-sama, too... Buuut I can't be bothered to. So you get this. I've been listening to "Paradise of Light and Shadow" obsessively lately. I love the part where Rin and Len are singing at the same time, don't you?**

_"Others rip their fates in two,  
But their love will still shine through."_

"Kid! Hey, Kid! Wake up!" He shot up, staring into the worried brown eyes of the swordswoman who was sitting next to him.

"Finally!" Kaito flopped back down, closing his eyes and beginning to snore. Gakupo quickly followed suit, but Meiko stayed sitting next to the youngest member of the group, staring at him. The blond looked around, confused.

"She didn't come." That was the only thing that mattered to him at the moment.

"You were talking in your sleep. Yelling, really." The two remaining awake stared at each other. "Is something wrong?"

"She didn't come." He drew his knees up to his chest. "She _always_ comes to me when I'm asleep. Something's wrong." Meiko put a hand on his head, sighing.

"You really love her, don't you, kid?" He felt his breath catch in his throat, before settling back down.

"She's my sister. Of course I love her." He stared out into the trees of the forest they were currently camping in, trying not to worry.

"No," Meiko insisted, causing him to look at her, "More than that." It was impossible for her to know that, and yet she did. He looked back out into the trees again.

"You really loved Teto, didn't you?" He knew that was the reason she had betrayed her queen and come with him. They all knew each other's stories by now - The story of Gakupo's mother commiting suicide because of the queen, the story of Kaito's house being burnt down, and the story of Meiko's best friend, who took her place as the Diva. A place that was now being held by his twin.

"She was my best friend. Of course I loved her." He smirked at her stubborness, echoing her earlier words back to her.

"No, more than that." Meiko chuckled, messing his hair and standing up.

"You got alot to learn, kid," she said, "Get to sleep. Maybe she'll be there this time."

He closed his eyes, not expecting much, but she was there. He called out to her, and she turned around. What he saw made his heart sink.

"Your mouth..." He rushed up to her, feet touching nothing but moving him forward. He had this dream every night, ever since she had been taken from him. What happened in them would differ, but it was always in this empty white nothing, and she was always there. They would talk, sometimes about him finding her, but sometimes about simple things. Life... and love. But, tonight, he knew the conversation would not be so light.

There was blood dripping from her mouth. He gently used his sleeve to wipe it away, knowing that it would still cling to her real body, which was right now sleeping at the mouth of the cave where she was kept. "It's happening, isn't it?" Fourteen years of nothing but singing to appease an angry dragon had taken its toll on her. "We'll be there tomorrow."

She sighed, sitting on the "ground." He followed suit, pulling her into his lap. "And there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?" He frowned at her, running his hands through her hair gently.

"Honestly, dear, sometimes I wonder if you even want to be saved. Don't you want be to be able to do this," he touched her cheek gently, "And this," he pressed his lips to her's softly, ignoring the blood, "In real life?"

She sighed, a small smile on her lips. "I doubt you would be able to. We're twins, my love, remember? Wouldn't our love be frowned upon?" He frowned stubbornly at her.

"I don't care." Of course, he did care. That was why he hadn't told Meiko the truth, even though she probably would have accepted it. He just couldn't bring himself to. She knew that, and smiled at him.

"Sweet, dearest, but you lie." She let her head rest on his chest, heaving a sigh which turned into a painful-sounding coughing fit.

"Don't," he touched her throat softly, as if he would be able to mend the damage with his fingertips, "You'll just irritate it even more."

"I know," she rasped. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and he wiped them away. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh," he said softly, lying his head on top of hers, "We're coming to save you tomorrow. Don't worry." Instead of calming, she began to cry harder.

"I'm sorry for that, too."

Before he could answer, he felt himself fading, and then he was being shaken awake by Meiko. She was looking down at him expectantly. "Well?"

"She was there," he said, standing, "And not well. Her throat was bleeding, Meiko. She kept coughing it all up." The worry on his face was evident, and Meiko pulled him into a hug. Kaito looked like he was about to make fun of that, but Meiko shot him a glare that shut him up.

"Don't worry, kid," she said, "We'll save her." He smiled at her, or at least attempted to.

"You know, she sounded like she didn't want up to come," he said, "Like she didn't want to be saved."

They began to pack up there things, Meiko speaking in a conversational tone. "Well, from what you've told me about her, that sounds right. You always said how selfless she was. She sings to the dragon to keep the peace. She probably thinks that's worth dying for."

Kaito chimed in. "You aren't going to listen, right? I mean, it's not that I don't love risking life and limb to go on an adventure that's aborted before we get to the good stuff, but..." The blond rolled his eyes.

"Of course we're going." He didn't care what his twin said. He was going to save her, even if she didn't want it. As for who would sing to keep the dragon at peace... Well, they were hoping that wouldn't be a problem.

_"Destroy the mask she wears, and you destroy her,"_ she had said, _"But I'd rather you didn't try. It's a suicide mission."_

Well, suicide mission or not, she couldn't stop him from trying.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Gakupo finally spoke up, after hours of walking.

The boy closed his eyes, listening. "Yes," he said, "I can hear her."

"I can, too." This caused everyone to pause, and soon Kaito and Gakupo were nodding along with Meiko's statement. The singing he heard was not just the voice of his twin reverberating in his heart - it was a very real voice, coming from inside the cave.

The four made their way inside carefully, following the sound of the raspy, tear-choked voice. Eventually, they came upon it - a blonde girl dancing and singing weakly in front of a large, smoky dragon. In the middle of that dragon stood a woman, a mask on her face.

Unable to help himself, he drew his sword, charging forward with a cry of rage despite calls of warning from his comrades. The girl stopped twirling and turned to look at him. For one impossibly amazing moment, their eyes met.

And then she was knocked aside by one smoky paw. "No!" He watched helplessly as she flew like a rag doll thrown by a child with a temper tantrum, falling into an abyss that seemed to go forever. "NO!"

With this, the others charged, battling with the smoke that had left it's dragon-shaped form and set to battling the intruders. He didn't look at any of them, but charged forth, his sword meeting the cold steel of the dragon-woman's staff.

With a smile, she brought her face to his, their lips mere centemeters apart. "History repeats itself," she whispered, and then he was thrown backwards. He caught a glimpse of his comrades, lying dead or unconsious, and then he hit the ground, and everything went black.

"Go back," he heard her voice, pleading, "Please, don't stay here. The world needs you in it, my love." He was in that white place again, but he couldn't see her. No matter which way he turned, her voice seemed to come from directly behind him.

"I-I don't want to. I don't want to be in this world without you." He reached out a hand behind him, and he felt her fingers intwine with his own. He tried to look behind himself at her, but couldn't.

"You have to. Please." She squeezed his hand. "I sung to keep this world at peace. To create a world where everyone could smile. Please... My voice will echo in the chambers with the voices of the others who have died, but it will not be enough to satisfy her. Please... Just... Do something. Anything." Her voice was fading now, as well as her hand.

_"History repeats itself_."There was the voice of the dragon, calling him back. And then she laughed, and pain throbbed in every part of his body. As he stumbled to his feet, the woman stopped her laughter. The smoky dragon was gone for the moment, leaving only her.

"Ah. Oh, dear. And I thought I had finally gotten my revenge. What a shame." She looked confused, and perhaps a bit afraid, despite the amused tone of her words.

"What do you mean?" His voice was raspy and weak, but it carried easily above the voices of the dead. Including _her_ voice. The newest addition to the ghostly chorus.

"History repeats itself," she said again, sounding resigned, and he charged at her. She let out a bolt of magic, but it missed him, and he flew at her. She screamed, but there was still that look of resignation on her face.

He ripped the mask off, and it shattered to pieces. He looked into those green-blue eyes for a moment, and saw that they were filled with tears. "Please... Sing..."

With that, she disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

He dropped to his knees, crawling to the abyss where he had last seen his love. She was there, at the bottom, limbs spread at odd angles. She was facing him, and her blue eyes were bright and glassy.

He heard rustling behind him, and a feminine groan. Meiko was still alive. It didn't really register with him. He picked himself up slowly, like a sleepwalker. "K-Kid... what're ya' doin'?" Meiko's voice was slurred, sleepy. He took a few steps backward, then rushed forward with the last of his strength, throwing himself forward. "KID! NO!"

He ignored her, stretching his arms in front of him as he fell towards the one person that mattered. As he landed, breaking every last bone in his body, he managed to put on hand on her's.

The last thing he saw as his head hit the stone was her face.

_"Don't you know who you are yet?"_

**Hmmmm... You know, I wonder how many chapters this will be... I have a bunch of chapters planned, but I don't know how many I'll actually do... We'll find out, eh?**


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